00:00 (upbeat music)
00:26 - Hey folks, we just got done riding Ducati's Panigale V2
00:31 super bike.
00:33 This is a mid-sized plus sport bike
00:38 from Ducati out of Bologna, Italy.
00:43 Now, Ducati's done a number of nice improvements
00:47 to its mid-sized plus sport bike.
00:52 First off, the aesthetics.
00:54 This motorcycle now follows in form
00:58 of the sensational looking Panigale V4,
01:02 which debuted for the 2018 model year.
01:06 I love the aesthetics of this motorcycle.
01:10 I don't know how Ducati designers do it.
01:13 Every time they come out with a new super bike,
01:16 it always looks awesome.
01:20 Well, there have been a lot of great looking sport bikes
01:22 over the last few decades,
01:23 but Ducati always stands apart from the competition
01:27 in its racy, sleek styling and its good proportions.
01:32 I'm a big fan of the styling of this motorcycle.
01:38 Engine.
01:40 This motorcycle continues to be powered
01:43 by Ducati's 955CCL twin.
01:47 They call it a super quattro L twin engine,
01:51 and they call that that because it has gigantic cylinder bore,
01:56 nearly a 100 millimeter cylinder bore
01:59 with a much shorter piston stroke.
02:02 So this engine configuration likes to rev.
02:07 You have to really have this engine spooling at high RPM
02:12 for it to really deliver usable performance.
02:16 Now, back in the old days, Ducati L twin engines,
02:19 they used to have a lot of torque.
02:21 Well, that changed when they went to the super big bore,
02:24 short stroke engine configuration.
02:27 And love it or hate it,
02:29 the power band on this motorcycle is very exhilarating.
02:34 This motorcycle likes to be operated at very high RPM.
02:38 It's a very thrilling power band,
02:41 even though it doesn't have much acceleration off the bottom
02:44 or even in the mid range,
02:46 you keep this thing singing on the pipe
02:48 and this thing gets you to where you're going fast.
02:52 An electronic quick shifter makes it easy to work
02:55 that six speed gearbox.
02:58 And on this bike, you are gonna be shifting all the time
03:01 because it likes to be revved at a very high RPM
03:05 to get good acceleration power.
03:07 We rode this motorcycle at the racing circuit.
03:12 And even though Ducati's done a number
03:15 of styling improvements and a number of electronics,
03:19 electronic improvements over the years,
03:21 I couldn't help but to think that this motorcycle,
03:24 the engine and even the chassis and suspension,
03:27 it rides very much like the old Panigale 899.
03:32 I know Ducati will not like me saying that, but it's true.
03:36 Even though they've done a lot of changes over the years,
03:38 it still feels like that old bike.
03:41 And that's not a bad thing.
03:42 The chassis on this motorcycle with a full 4.5 gallons
03:47 of premium fuel, this thing weighs in at 441 pounds.
03:52 Even though that's not the lightest sport bike
03:54 out in the market, this thing handles very well.
03:57 I love how sharp it steers.
03:59 It's a very sharp steering motorcycle.
04:02 If you're the kind of rider that wants a motorcycle
04:04 that really likes to turn, this bike will work well for you.
04:10 Now, suspension wise, this vehicle still employs
04:14 the older style Showa BPF fork.
04:19 I love this fork.
04:21 I believe it debuted for the 2011 model year
04:25 with the Suzuki GSX-R sport bikes.
04:28 And this BPF fork is really awesome.
04:30 Number one is because it has a super wide range
04:34 of adjustment.
04:35 Number two, the adjusters are right there on top
04:38 of the fork leg for the damping,
04:40 where the preload's on the bottom
04:41 and it's very easy to make adjustment.
04:44 And this suspension does very well on the road.
04:48 It delivers decent road comfort while still having
04:52 a good degree of sport road holding on the racing circuit.
04:57 Still, even though it does employ a nice,
05:00 versatile running Showa BPF fork,
05:04 the reality is this suspension technology
05:07 is getting a little bit long in the tooth
05:10 in the hardcore sport bike arena.
05:13 Realistically, we'd like to see a higher specification fork
05:17 on there that would give a little bit sharper
05:20 dampening response when you're really getting after it
05:24 at the racing circuit.
05:25 Ergonomics in typical Ducati form,
05:28 this is a very racy feeling motorcycle.
05:32 The clip-on style handlebars are very low.
05:35 The seat is very high.
05:37 I like the knurled rear sets that give good amount
05:42 of grip against the sole of the rider's shoes or boots.
05:47 That's a nice touch.
05:48 I also like the pseudo Alcantara suede-like fabric
05:53 that the seat and passenger seat are adorned with.
05:56 It looks really nice.
05:58 It really keeps your rear end in place
06:01 when you're hustling this motorcycle through the canyons.
06:04 And that's where this bike really shines.
06:06 This bike really shines when you're at the racing circuit,
06:10 when you're at a medium to high speed set of corners.
06:15 This bike just loves turning
06:17 the Pirelli Diablo Rosso 3 tires.
06:21 They offer good, versatile performance
06:23 on the racetrack, on the street.
06:25 They heat up quick.
06:27 They even work really good in the rain.
06:31 Brakes on this motorcycle, triple disc hydraulic brakes
06:35 keep the speed on check on this bike,
06:38 but I wish the brakes were a little bit sharper.
06:42 When you really get into that front brake lever,
06:44 the brake pads just lack a degree of bite.
06:48 Yeah, the brakes work good on this motorcycle
06:50 and it gets down, slow down in a quick,
06:53 but the brake pad material feels a little hard
06:56 and a little wooden.
06:57 I would like a racier compound if this bike was mine.
07:02 I also like all of the modern electronics
07:06 that Ducati has fitted on this Panigale V2.
07:10 This has the same electronic systems as the Panigale V4.
07:15 So you have adjustable power modes.
07:18 You have Ducati traction control.
07:21 You have independently adjustable wheelie control.
07:24 You have the quick shifter.
07:26 You have engine brake control.
07:28 And I really like the wide range of adjustment
07:32 in this motorcycle.
07:33 There's actually a big amount of difference
07:36 when you have the motorcycle in maximum engine braking mode
07:39 and just one level down.
07:42 Again, because the brakes aren't super adept
07:45 at really shedding speed on this motorcycle,
07:47 they don't have that kind of feel I like.
07:49 I kind of run a higher engine brake mode
07:53 just because the brakes aren't quite as sharp
07:56 as I would like.
07:57 If the brakes were sharper,
07:58 I could definitely use a lesser engine brake setting,
08:01 but it's cool that Ducati gives you the option.
08:05 It also has three-way adjustable ABS.
08:09 You can even put it in the lowest ABS setting,
08:12 ABS level one, and that disables rear ABS
08:16 if you're the kind of person
08:18 who wants to slide the rear of the bike
08:20 or lock up the rear wheel with the brake.
08:24 Another gripe I have with this Panigale V2
08:28 is in regard to the fit and finish.
08:32 Now, for $17,200,
08:35 there is an awful lot of plastic on this motorcycle.
08:40 Some of the bodywork feels a little chintzy.
08:44 The mirror stocks look cheap,
08:47 and I think Ducati could do a lot better job
08:52 in the fit and finish.
08:53 We recently test rode the 2021 Ducati Supersport XR.
08:58 Supersport S, which carries a lesser MSRP than this vehicle,
09:03 and that bike felt much better put together
09:07 than this Panigale V2.
09:10 It's worth noting,
09:11 Ducati stands behind its new motorcycles
09:15 with a two-year unlimited mileage warranty,
09:19 so if anything does break,
09:20 they will get it repaired for you.
09:23 Overall, I really like riding this Ducati Panigale V2.
09:28 Realistically, it doesn't feel a whole lot different
09:34 from the original Panigale 899 or the Panigale 959,
09:39 but I still like the updated Panigale V4 aesthetics.
09:44 I like that Ducati threw the kitchen sink at it
09:48 with the electronics package,
09:50 and I like that even though it's a motorcycle
09:53 that has a displacement of almost one liter,
09:56 realistically, this is more of like 600, 700 midsize bike.
10:01 It doesn't quite have the acceleration brute force
10:05 of a liter bike,
10:06 yet it has a little bit more peppin' it step
10:09 than an old school 600i4,
10:14 which gets us to the price.
10:16 This vehicle costs $17,200,
10:22 which is a lot of money.
10:24 Realistically, you'd be better served
10:27 just picking up an older Panigale 959 or an 899
10:32 just because the performance envelope of this vehicle
10:36 isn't vastly different from those predecessors,
10:39 so you could probably save a lot of money
10:42 by buying one of those used things,
10:44 but still, if you're the kind of rider
10:46 who wants the flashiest thing on the road from Ducati,
10:50 this $17,000 Panigale V2 might be the bike for you.
10:55 All right, folks, that's a wrap from today's review
10:59 on Ducati's Panigale V2 sport bike.
11:02 Make sure to surf on over to MotorcyclistOnline.com.
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11:16 from the contradictory fans out there,
11:19 and we'll see you next time.
11:20 Thanks for watching.
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